Local telephone companies frequently need to send technicians out to customer sites to service a subscriber's POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) line(s). A POTS line may sometimes be referred to as a copper telephone wire pair. Service activities may include functions such as troubleshooting a noisy or intermittent line, disconnecting a line, connecting a new line, and checking a customer's telephone. In order to assist in the troubleshooting and tasks of a field service technician, local telephone companies have deployed line conditioning test devices at their central offices. These line conditioning test devices allow a technician, using DTMF signaling, to request conditioning and/or testing of a subscriber's line, e.g., open line, short line, apply test frequency tones to line, etc. for requested periods of time. While the line is conditioned in a particular state, e.g., a specific tone sequence has been injected onto the line, the technician may perform a test task, e.g., locate the wire pair to be serviced from among several wire pairs at a customer site or an intermediate site.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of exemplary communication system under test 100 employing a known decentralized architecture and using various line conditioning test devices in central offices. FIG. 1 includes a first subscriber communication device 102, e.g., a first telephone, a first field service technician 104, a field service technician communication device, e.g., a second telephone 106, a DTMF I/O test device 128, test equipment 130 and central office 1 108. Central Office 1 includes a central office switch 110 and a plurality of frame responders, frame responder 1 112, frame responder 2 114, frame responder N 116. A frame responder is a line conditioning device manufactured by CMC. Each frame responder 112, 114, 116 is coupled to the central office switch 110 via a no test trunk device 118, 120, 122, respectively. First subscriber communications device 102 is coupled to central office switch 110 via a first POTS line 124, e.g., a copper line wire pair. POTS line 124 is the line that technician 104 is servicing. Field service technician communications device 106 is coupled to central office switch 110 via a second POTS line 126 or the line under test 124. Test Equipment 130 may include ohmmeters, voltmeters meters, oscilloscopes, signal detection devices, signal recording devices, etc.
The field service technician 104 may need to service a POTS line 124. Field service technician 104 may place a call to a specific phone number corresponding to a specific frame responder, e.g., frame responder 2 114 at central office 1 108 that may be coupled to POTS line 124. The call may be placed from first subscriber communications device 102 or from field service technician communications device 106. The technician may enter a password, enter the number of the subscriber line to condition, request a type and duration of conditioning, etc. In cases, where the call originates from first subscriber communications device 102, the technician will hang-up after placing the call and wait a specified length of time before line conditioning will be performed. Input to the frame responder is in DTMF tones and output from the frame responder, e.g., an acknowledgment signal to a requested command is also in DTMF. Therefore the operator can use a DTMF I/O test device 128 which can interpret the ACK/NAK signaling returned from frame responder. After the line has been conditioned, the technician 104 may perform a specified test, e.g., check the line for the presence, strength, and/or SNR of a test signal using test equipment 130.
FIG. 1 also includes a second subscriber communication device 132, e.g., a third telephone, a second field service technician 134, a field service technician communication device 136, e.g., a fourth telephone, test equipment 137 and central office 2 138. Central Office 2 includes a central office switch 140 and a plurality of DATU (Direct Access Testing Units), DATU 1 142, DATU 2 144, DATU N 146. The DATU is a widely deployed line conditioning device manufactured by Harris. Each DATU 142, 144, 146 is coupled to the central office switch 140 via a no test trunk device 148, 150, 152, respectively. Second subscriber communications device 132 is coupled to central office switch 140 via a third POTS line 154, e.g., a copper line wire pair. POTS line 154 is the line that second technician 134 is servicing. Field service technician communications device 136 is coupled to central office switch 140 via a fourth POTS line 139. Test Equipment 137 may include ohmmeters, voltmeters, oscilloscopes, signal detection devices, signal recording devices, etc.
The field service technician 134 may need to service POTS line 154. Field service technician 134 may place a call to a specific phone number corresponding to a specific DATU, e.g., DATU 2 144 at central office 2 138 that may be coupled to POTS line 154. The call may be placed from second subscriber communications device 132 or from field service technician communications device 136. The technician may enter a password, enter the number of the subscriber line to condition, request a type and duration of conditioning, etc. In cases, where the call originates from first subscriber communications device 102 or the field service technician communications device 132 connected to POTS line 154, the technician will hang-up after placing the call and wait a specified length of time before line conditioning will be performed. Input to the DATU is in DTMF tones and output from the DATU, e.g., a message indicating “OK, line busy, etc.” to a request or entry is in voice. After the line has been conditioned, the technician 134 may perform a specified test, e.g., check the line for the presence, strength, and/or SNR of a test signal using test equipment 137.
In order to use a line conditioning device, with the known system architecture 100, the field service technician 104, 134 needs to know to which central office 108, 138 the POTS line to be serviced 124, 154 is connected. In addition, the technician 104, 134 needs to know the phone number and password associated with the line conditioning device that may be used at that central office. If a technician places a call to a line conditioning device not associated with the POTS line to be tested, the access will fail.
As shown in exemplary system architecture 100, there exist several different types of line conditioning devices, e.g., different manufactures and different models/versions by the same manufacturer. Each different line conditioning device may have a different interfaces, different operational procedures, and/or different functions/options. This creates additional problems for the field service technician 104, 134. The technician 104, 134 needs learn how to access and use the variety of line conditioning devices deployed at central offices. The technician 104, 134 may need to carry a variety of interface devices/test equipment devices that may be specific to match a particular line conditioning device. In addition, each time a technician 104, 134 accesses a line conditioning device, the technician needs to identify which type of line conditioning device is being accessed.
The security employed with many known line conditioning devices is minimal. In many cases, the access numbers of line conditioning devices at central offices are easily available to non-authorized personnel. In addition passwords for access are distributed to a large number of technicians, and are typically not changed each time an individual employee leaves the service provider.
Based upon the above discussion, it may be appreciated that methods and apparatus which remove the burden from the technician to properly identify the central office, the line conditioning device number and corresponding type of line conditioning devices to be used for a specific POTS line would be beneficial. In addition there is room for new methods and apparatus that provide for a more user friendly interface to line conditioning devices. Methods and apparatus that provide a common user interface, a common set of instructions and/or a common set of commands applicable to a wide variety of vendor, type and/or model of line conditioning devices would be beneficial. Automation of various line conditioning instructions and/or frequently used combinations of instructions would also be useful. There is room for improvements in security methods controlling and tracking access to line conditioning devices. Improvements as described above could result in increased use of line conditioning devices by technicians, reduced problems due to improper operator input and/or operator procedural errors, increased overall service efficiency, reduced field service costs, reduced field service repair time, reduced unauthorized access, and/or increased customer satisfaction.